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Glaxo Group Research Ltd - Robot Motion Simulation In Support Of System Design, Application Development, Management Decision Making And User Training Workspace user profile

Glaxo Group Research Ltd are part of the pharmaceutical giant Glaxo. They are based in Hertfordshire, England and have large research laboratories there. Their BioEngineering unit is engaged in research to develop automated systems in support of innovative laboratory procedures to improve effectiveness, quality, safety and productivity in development of ethical pharmaceuticals.

The challenge

Skilled laboratory staff currently spend 25% of their time performing the tedious and repetitive job of accessing the company's large reference collection of pharmaceutical compounds. Installing an automated storage and retrieval system would free those laboratory staff to concentrate on other work.

Before an installation can take place, the design under consideration must be 'proven' to work. The conventional approach for Glaxo is to take drawings of the design and use them to build 'non- functional' models whose sole purpose is to illustrate the design concept. The next stage is to build a moving 'proof of principle' model with which to investigate the functional capability of the system.

Speed of development is a key issue, and Glaxo purchased Workspace to provide additional capability to their design department.

The solution

Glaxo's proposed solution is to install a completely new design of robotic storage and retrieval system. The arrangement was modelled on Workspace and moving devices simulated. Workspace enabled the BioEngineering department to check that the design achieved its specification. In addition, estimates of retrieval times were automatically calculated to judge the efficiency of the system. Using Workspace, the model can be changed effortlessly to experiment with alternative layouts.

A moving animation of the design clearly communicated the concept to management and end users, promoting informed discussion and leading to the system's optimisation, acceptance and approval.

The future

Mike Duncan of Glaxo Group Research stated that, in future Workspace will be used as follows: -

'Illustrate the proposed arrangements of automated systems; it will offer, in addition, the opportunity to experiment quickly and cheaply with alternative layouts.'

'Ensure that the physical layout of the system does not clash with the surrounding environment and related equipment either at rest or at any point in its operational cycle.'

'Optimise the functional design and operational procedure of the system during development to ensure that the first-off, which may be the only example, requires little or no modification to achieve the standard of structural integrity and behavioural refinement required for performance critical applications in a sophisticated science- oriented environment.'

'Workspace will reduce the need to build models and will provide a basis for 'right-first-time' development of special purpose laboratory automation.' Glaxo's financial justification for Workspace

Faster accomplishment of automation projects.

Reduced requirement for rectification during system development prior to commissioning.

Reduced requirement for physical models during the planning, design and development programme.

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Australia, United States